13.8.11

We've reached the final countdown for our flight to meet Jesus Christ in Madrid! As I write(err... type) this, we are at 14 hours until takeoff. I can't even begin to describe the feelings that are coursing through me at the moment!

The most powerful feeling I have right now is one of gratitude. Having been unemployed since March, I've had no other way of getting to Madrid than to fund raise. I am filled with the spirit of gratitude towards all those who have helped me on this journey. You are all a part of this pilgrimage. You see, the pilgrimage does not begin when we touch down at our destination. It doesn't begin with our check in at the airport. Our journey to meet Christ began once the desire took seed in our hearts. Basically, it began in 2008 with the closing of the last World Youth Day in Australia.

Without all your help with our fundraisers: ordering food plates, banana bread, truffles (OMG, the truffle saga)... Without you there in the background saying, 'You can do it!'... Without your prayers, we would never be able to step foot in that airplane. Let alone on the soil of what people call our 'motherland'.

Without my parents whose sweat and labor helped not only me but my whole group of friends, we would have tried and probably fallen flat on our faces. I owe my father and my mother a huge debt of gratitude! They were up with us on those nights that we didn't sleep, working well in to the morning hours. They were there for all the tears. All the screaming and fighting.

If you look at this now, it seems that the road to Madrid was all bumps and pot holes. But, it was far from it. For the most part, the road was paved with love, laughter, friendship, and faith. I have established friendships on this road that, I know, will last a lifetime.

God has been great to us. He has held us all up and has once again, risen, victorious! I look forward to the experience that he has laid out for me in Madrid, Spain and I pray that I remain open to whatever he has planned!

The plane ride though? That's another story!

Please pray for us while we journey half a world away to meet the Holy Father. I will be sure to keep you all in my prayers.

11.8.11

In less than three days, I will be in Malta. Well on my way to Madrid. Right now, I'm filled with excitement, anxiety, fear, and a whole list of other emotions! I'm trying to stay focused but have managed to fail pretty much every time!

I'm excited to see what is in the plan for me. Not only in the Philippines, Malta, and Madrid. But, in the long run. Will this be the trip where I find my vocation? I don't know. Will I be open to hearing what He wants of me? I pray that I am. I'm excited to meet new friends that I have made in the past few years through the wonders of the internet... Friends who share the same beliefs as I... Friends who already feel like brothers and sisters even though we live a world apart.

I'm anxious for the time to come faster! Yes, I know I'm not ready. But, the more that time goes by, the more tempted I am to give in. The closer the pilgrimage gets, the harder it is for me to remember what it took to get to where I am today. It took a lot of hard work. A lot of tears. A lot of yelling, screaming, fighting. Heck... If they'd have let use, there would of been kicking, punching, slapping, and maybe even some biting! But, I know that it was all worth it. The fruit which will come of this pilgrimage will be sweet and, I'm praying, long lasting!

I'm afraid because of so many reasons!! To list them here will not only be hard but it will also be pointless because just as quickly as my fear is voiced, it is soothed by the love that I feel. Whenever a fear pops in to my mind, I feel comforted just knowing that I do not make this trip alone. Not only do I have friends going with me but, I go with God before me.

I do have one fear that has stuck with me though... This is the fear that I will wake up on Sunday at 9am and have a feeling that I'm supposed to be somewhere. Then, at lunch time, I'll remember that I'm supposed to be on a plane heading towards Malta, Spain, and Christ!! God forbid that happen! I'll be crushed!!!

So, in about 2 days time, I shall be on a plane, headed towards the distant nations. Countries whose lands are completely foreign to me. I shall go to meet family who I've never met. Brothers and sisters through faith. I will have the time of my life. I shall go shouting the four golden rules of a pilgrim.

2.8.11

OMG! 12 days left til we depart and there's still so much that I need to do!

I need to clean my room because if I don't, mom's threatened to throw everything away while I'm gone. Although, I don't think that's such a bad idea. Whatever will get me through two weeks in Spain should be enough to get me by through day to day life. So, by the time I get back, we'll be preparing for a step in my community and she can threaten to get rid of all my stuff in the storage room. Then, I'll be all set to start over from scratch in a spotless room! But, in order to avoid the wrath of mom, I will try to clean the room as much as possible.

Ok! I admit, I have a ulterior motive! I need to find my sleeping bag. I can't, for the life of me, remember where I put the darned thing! I remember using it at a hotel thing with Andy, Law, and Jamie. I remember looking at it and thinking that I should take it camping on the beach and then deciding it was a bad idea because of the sand and it being so close to WYD. But, I don't remember where I put it after all that!

This memory thing is scary! I feel like an 80 year old woman with Alzheimer's. I forget where I put things like clothes, sleeping bags, books... don't even get me started on notebooks! OMG!

So, in the hopes of finding said sleeping bag, Law wrote me a little prayer. It goes like this: